Hostage
by GalaxyDuster
Summary: It takes a major crisis for Neela to finally realize how she feels about Ray. Post 13x18 no spoilers beyond that. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hostage - Chapter One**_

**Title:** Hostage  
**Author:** GalaxyDuster (aka Sara)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the regular ER characters... obviously.  
**Spoilers: **References to 13x18 - Photographs and Memories. (This happens the next day.)  
**Content Warning:** Nothing more than your standard ER gore; drugs, violence.

* * *

_She had such a headache._

It was all Neela Rasgotra could think about as she walked in through the ambulance bay. She had drunk far too much beer at Sam's birthday party the night before, and this morning she was paying the price for it. She felt as if her eyes were going to suddenly implode.

"Morning, Frank." She lazily made her way past the front desk and headed on, to the elevators, not really wanting to go up to the surgical floor. She hadn't seen Dubenko since yesterday, and she was dreading the thought of facing him again this morning. It was going to be so ridiculously awkward after his bizarre confession to her.

"_My personal feelings toward you…"_

It seemed like everyone was having _personal_ feelings toward her these days, Neela thought, chagrined. All she wanted was a moment's peace. She felt like she was trapped in some ridiculous nightmare where everyone was demanding her immediate attention all at once, and she was unable to give any of them exactly what they wanted.

What was worse; she didn't have a moment to just sit down and breathe, to think of what she needed and wanted for _herself._

"Neela, wait."

Neela whirled to see Abby Lockhart coming up behind her quickly in the corridor. She smiled, glad to see her friend – as well as to have a legitimate excuse for stalling.

"Good morning," Neela said, giving Abby a bright smile.

"Hey, good morning to you, too. Listen, we just got a trauma in that I need you to take a look at." She began to walk back towards the ER at a brisk pace, and Neela followed. "Crazy drug addict vs. police officer, and the police officer didn't win."

"Oh, no." Neela felt her instincts starting to kick in immediately, brushing aside all of her personal worries. It was what made her an excellent surgeon.

"He used a knife, quite generously," Abby sighed. "More than twenty stab wounds, most of them superficial, but we have at least two that are deep in the belly…" She continued to give Neela the information as they headed into the trauma room.

* * *

"Can you come out of la-la land for five seconds please, Ray? I'm trying to clear this board." Greg Pratt scowled at Ray Barnett, shaking a fist full of charts in his direction.

"What? Oh. Sorry." Ray, who had been leaning over the desk, lost in his thoughts, stood up straight and reached for the charts.

Pratt looked curious, but he said nothing.

A tired looking police officer approached the desk. "How's Jimmy doing?" He asked, shifting a cup of coffee back and forth between restless hands.

"They're still working on him," Pratt replied. "Looks like most of the wounds were superficial, but we have a surgical consult down here now assessing the full extent of the injuries."

Ray immediately wondered if the surgical consult was Neela. He felt guilty for letting that be his first thought – a man had been stabbed over twenty times, and he was worried about _Neela_? It seemed like she was all he could think about these days.

"Did you guys catch this thug?" Pratt wanted to know.

"No, he got away." The police officer looked extremely disappointed. "I can't believe it; the crazy freak got away. I let Jimmy down. I can't run as fast as I used to."

"You did everything you could, man," Ray assured him.

The officer nodded, but he looked unconvinced. "I'm gonna go call Jimmy's wife. I think I owe him that much. She needs to be here." He headed off in the direction of the phones.

"That's rough," Pratt muttered, shaking his head. He hurried off in the opposite direction.

Ray sighed and peeked at his first chart. He just wasn't ready to get started, he thought. He was still thinking about last night, and how he had finally gotten Neela to open up to him. She had smiled at him so sweetly when she had promised him that he wouldn't have to wait long. He smiled a little, remembering the way she had hooked his arm to try and get him to dance to her ridiculous song. He knew she had enjoyed herself as much as he had.

What he _couldn't_ figure out was why she needed more time. He didn't want to be stuck waiting and wondering anymore.

There was a nervous tapping at the glass doors on the other side of the desk. A man stood behind them, looking anxious. Ray looked up from his charts, still lost in his thoughts, and went to open the door. The man stepped slowly into the admit area.

He looked about 40 years old, Ray estimated, and had dark black hair and a clean shaven face. He was dressed in expensive looking clothing, but Ray noticed he was shaking quite a bit. There was a bright sheen of perspiration across the man's face.

"Please, _help me_," the man said, his tone something akin to begging.

"Okay, it's all right, let's go sit down," Ray suggested quickly. He looped a protective arm around the man's back, as it seemed he was going to tremble right down to the floor. "What's your name?"

"Chris. Please. Please. _Please_." The man's hands clenched and unclenched in rapid succession. His eyes darted quickly from side to side as Ray led him toward a row of chairs.

"Woah, are you ok? You're bleeding!" Ray stopped in his tracks as he noticed a large, dark red splotch across the belly of the man's expensive white undershirt. It had been hidden from view under his suit coat. "Sit here, right now," Ray said, stopping them in front of a chair. "_Sit_."

"No," the man gasped, still standing.

"Chris, buddy, sit down," Ray implored, grasping the other man's shoulders to ease him down into the chair.

"Don't touch me, _don't touch me_!" Chris shook Ray's hands free, his eyes looking a bit desperate. "I just need… some _help_. Can you help me?"

Ray began to realize that something wasn't quite right. He took a slow step back, trying to figure it out.

"Just get me whatever you got, ok? Morphine. Percocet. Vicodin. _Whatever_. Get it all for me. _Now_." Chris began to tremble more than ever.

Ray felt his pulse start to pick up. "Hey, just take it easy. It's cool."

"It is _not_ cool!" Chris shouted.

Ray was vaguely aware of the audience that had gathered behind the admit desk. From the corner of his eye, he saw Abby come out of the trauma room, her yellow gown covered in dried blood, looking very sad. Neela stepped out behind her.

"_He didn't make it. I guess we've got a murderer on the loose now."_

Ray locked his gaze with the man standing in front of him and felt a horrible sense of dread wash through his body.

"What are you _waiting_ for?!" Chris snapped. His hand went toward his pocket.

"Are you bleeding, man?" Ray asked, swallowing hard. He already knew the answer, but he fought desperately to stay calm.

"No, I'm _not_ bleeding," Chris said, drawing a long knife from his coat pocket. There was old blood all over the handle and blade. "I just need some _help_."

Ray closed his eyes slowly and felt his stomach twist itself into a knot. "Oh, my God," he muttered.

In a fraction of an instant, Chris had his elbow locked around Ray's throat. Ray felt himself being whirled around as Chris pulled his body hard against his own and pressed the cold, sharp edge of the knife against the bottom of his jaw.

"JUST GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!!!"

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hostage - Chapter Two**_

**Title:** Hostage

**Author:** GalaxyDuster (aka Sara)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the regular ER characters... obviously.  
**Spoilers: **References to 13x18 - Photographs and Memories. (This happens the next day.)  
**Content Warning:** Nothing more than your standard ER gore; drugs, violence.

* * *

"Just give me what I _want_," Chris repeated desperately.

Ray felt absolute panic slamming into him as the tip of the knife wobbled against his throat; Chris was still trembling wildly. Ray had to fight the instinct to breathe deeply, as each breath caused the knife to poke a little farther into his skin. He held himself still, trying to focus on just surviving each moment.

Each moment felt like a lifetime.

Chris tightened his grip around Ray's throat. "Don't make me hurt you," he warned, and Ray could feel the other man breathing heavily against his ear. Chris began to step back slowly, and Ray stepped with him.

"Get everyone out of this area," a voice said. Ray thought it sounded like Pratt, but he couldn't be sure. His gaze was focused mostly on the ceiling, as he was straining his neck back from the knife as much as possible.

They continued to slowly back up toward the desk.

"Just relax," said another voice, which was unmistakable as Luka Kovac. "We'll get you what you want."

Chris stopped walking. He jabbed the knife gently against Ray's throat, causing more fear than pain. Still, the room around them erupted in gasps and upset voices.

"_Please._" This time Ray could hear desperation in Kovac's voice.

"You people aren't going to help me," Chris whimpered, continuing to shake uncontrollably. "You're going to jump on me and arrest me the second… the second you get your chance!"

"No," he heard Pratt say. "We don't want anyone to get hurt. We'll get you whatever you need."

Ray thought he heard Neela say something. He could barely make out her voice over the sound of his own pulse roaring in his head.

"Please," Kovac repeated.

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up_!" Chris screamed. Ray squeezed his eyes shut tightly, imagining that any second he was going to be carelessly slaughtered and tossed to the floor. His hand reached up instinctively to grasp at the arm around his throat.

"Don't move!!!" Chris jabbed with the knife again, and not so gently this time. Ray felt the burn as the point made a shallow cut in his skin. He suddenly felt as though he were paralyzed.

"_Oh, my god_." It sounded like Abby this time.

"Tell us what you want to do, sir," said Kovac. He sounded calm yet firm, and Ray sincerely hoped that would be the way to calm down his assailant.

Chris shifted back and forth uneasily on his feet. He was clearly feeling like an animal backed into a corner at this point, with no idea how to escape. "I need… _medication_," he explained, trying to speak in a normal voice.

"We can get you that," Kovac replied softly. "It's no problem. Just… let him go. Then we can all take a deep breath, and help you out."

Ray felt his attacker's grip tighten again. "No. No, I'm not letting him go. He's my only chance… my only chance to get out of here."

Ray tried to peek down at the room around him, but it was impossible to move his head. He wondered if Neela was still in the room. He hoped that someone had taken her out, away from the danger.

"_Please_, we'll really give you whatever you want," he heard Neela say in the very next instant. Ray closed his eyes and swallowed hard, hoping the attacker wouldn't pay any attention to her. He couldn't bear the thought of it.

"Someone get them out of here," Kovac said sternly, no doubt referring to Abby and Neela.

"I'm _not_ leaving," Neela said. Her tone was incredibly serious.

"Get all the cops out of here," Chris said suddenly, beginning to step backward again. Ray kept pace with him, not wanting the knife to slip. "Get them all out of here. I'm taking this doc with me into a closed room, and someone is going to pass me what I need under a locked door, and _he_ is going to give it to me. _Do you understand me_?!"

"Absolutely," Pratt replied. He sounded completely genuine.

Ray felt his sense of dread increasing. Probably because he knew what would happen if Chris decided he didn't need him anymore.

"_You_," Chris snarled, directly into Ray's ear. "Where is the nearest room that I can go into and lock the door?"

"Uhh, keep going back, then to your… to your right," Ray said softly. He felt the knife point moving against his throat as he spoke. His own body was trembling slightly, and he was helpless to stop it.

As expected, Chris began to step back in that direction. Ray moved with him in perfect synch, feeling as if he were taking a slow walk down death row. His last bit of optimism dissolved away as he was pulled into a dimly lit exam room. The door slammed with a very final sounding _thud_.

Ray felt Chris stretching out his free arm. He heard the lock click into place.

"_Sit down_," Chris snapped, shoving Ray hard enough to make him fall on the floor.

* * *

Neela felt as if her entire body had gone numb.

Dozens of cops and security guards had materialized around the admit desk, speaking to each other fervently, all of them repeatedly glancing at the closed door of Exam Three. Their two-way radios buzzed and squawked accordingly.

"You two, get out of here _now_," Kovac ordered, walking up to Neela and Abby quickly and angrily. He bent his head low to Abby and put his hands on his hips. "It's too dangerous back here. Get out of the hospital."

"_What_ _don't you understand? We are closed due to an emergency!_" Pratt shouted to someone on the phone.

"No," Neela replied, her voice shaking as she looked up at Kovac's rigid expression. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Neela, there's nothing you can do here. Right now you are just another possible target for this maniac," Kovac said, exasperated.

"No," she said again. There was no way she could leave, knowing Ray was in there with a murderer. She couldn't leave, knowing that at any moment he might be gone.

"He's right, Neela," Abby said gently, touching her friend's elbow. "Let's go."

"I'm not leaving while he's in there," Neela said, and her voice broke.

Abby gave her a pointed look. "_Neela_…?"

"I've made myself perfectly clear," Neela replied firmly, despite the tears that were pooling in her eyes. She glanced toward the closed door of Exam Three. What was going on in there right now? She wondered.

"Neela, I can't let you stay. It's not safe back here right now," Kovac protested.

"I think I can decide if I'm safe enough," she retorted, helpless as one of her tears finally spilled over.

Kovac and Abby exchanged a confused look, but Neela simply ignored it and walked to the desk. "Pratt. I'll do it," she said, quickly wiping her face.

Pratt set down the telephone receiver, staring blankly at her. "Do what?"

"Let me pass meds under the door. Please. We have to give him what he wants."

"Neela, wait. Let's see what the police think we should do," Kovac said. He and Abby had followed her to the desk.

"Don't you get it?!" Neela felt her control slipping. "He's gonna kill him. That man stabbed a police officer to death _twenty_ times. There's no other answer. _We have to give him what he wants!!!_"

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hostage - Chapter Three**_

**Title:** Hostage

**Author:** GalaxyDuster (aka Sara)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the regular ER characters... obviously.  
**Spoilers: **References to 13x18 - Photographs and Memories. (This happens the next day.)  
**Content Warning:** Nothing more than your standard ER gore; drugs, violence.

* * *

Ray sat up slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light in the exam room. He could see the faint outline of his attacker, who was still standing in front of the door, knife clutched tightly in hand. Chris's eyes moved quickly around the room, as if he wasn't sure exactly what was going on or what was going to happen.

"Don't stand up," he warned, pointing the knife in Ray's direction.

"I'm not going to stand up," Ray assured him, placing both palms on the floor. He sat in what felt like somewhat of a protective manner, with his knees drawn up, and tried to look as non-threatening as possible.

"Good. That's good," Chris replied. He bit his lip, looking anxiously over his shoulder at the window of the exam room. It was covered effectively by drawn blinds. Nobody could see in; and the two of them could not see out.

"So, uh, now what?" Ray asked quietly. He wasn't sure whether or not he should engage the other man in conversation, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Now you better _hope_ they pass some freakin' medication under this door, like in the next five minutes, or I might just have to take it out on you!" Chris snapped.

Ray nodded, but he said nothing more. Clearly, conversation was not the way to go, he thought.

"God, I need it _so_ bad!" Chris whimpered, rubbing his free hand up and down the opposite arm. He continued to shake. "What the hell is _taking_ them so long??!"

"They're just trying to figure everything out," Ray muttered. "They're upset."

"Upset? _Upset_?" Chris knelt down and shook the tip of the knife angrily, just inches from Ray's face. "I'm the only one who needs to be upset right now! Everyone else just needs to give me what I want – before I go _off!_"

Ray slowly leaned back from the deadly edge of the knife. He contemplated kicking the other man, but decided it would be too risky. This guy had already murdered one person today; he could probably do it again with little provocation.

"They're running out of time," Chris growled, standing up straight again. He bounced lightly on his heels, looking restless. "I'd better get something soon, doc. I'd better get something _real_ soon."

* * *

Neela stood back against the admit desk, watching helplessly as the police milled around the outside of the exam room, talking amongst themselves about how to handle the situation. Nearly five minutes had passed since the door to Exam Three had slammed shut, and nobody knew what was going on inside.

"… _Dr. Kovac will be passing morphine sulfate for injection and a sterile syringe under the door…_" one police officer was muttering into his radio.

Neela watched as Kovac rounded the end of the corridor quickly with the medication in hand. He looked calm and collected, she thought. It was more than she could say for herself at the moment.

Abby stood at her side, her eyes wide and alert. Neela was grateful for her friend's presence, even though it did nothing much to calm her nerves. She felt tears spring into her eyes again as Abby wrapped a secure arm around her shoulders.

"It's gonna be ok, Neela," Abby said gently.

"That man in there has already killed once today," Neela whispered. "What's to stop him from doing it again? He's not thinking rationally. He's trapped in a corner. He's…" she couldn't speak anymore. She felt herself starting to cry and she simply wasn't able to stifle it.

Abby tightened her grip. "I know what good friends you and Ray are," she said quietly.

Neela shook her head. She let out a single, forlorn laugh. "Friends. That's an interesting choice of words." She looked down at her shoes.

_But you… you're the best friend I've ever had._

Abby searched Neela's face with curiosity. "An interesting choice of words?"

Neela sighed heavily, sniffling back some of the tears that had begun again. "I don't even know how to explain it," she laughed humorlessly.

"It's something more?" Abby asked, sounding surprised.

"I guess you could say so, yeah," Neela said. She closed her eyes and imagined the last time she had looked at Ray's face – before she had quietly slipped away from Sam's party the night before. He'd been drinking a beer, she remembered.

He was drinking more than he used to, lately.

"Well," Abby said, smiling a little before she could stop herself, "That's definitely news to me. All this time, I thought you were with Gates."

"It's complicated," Neela murmured.

_I just need some time…_

Maybe there wouldn't _be_ any more time, she thought. Neela felt her entire body begin to tremble as she realized that this could be _it_; now there might never be another time to tell Ray how she felt about him. Until this moment, in fact, she had never realized just how deeply her feelings really ran for him.

She was in love with him.

It hit her like a ton of bricks as she realized it, as she truly recognized the feeling for what it was. Everything had been leading up to this, she thought. It had been there all along. She was sure of it; now more than ever.

Neela watched as Kovac briefly chatted with the police in front of the door to Exam Three. Then he bent over and slid a plastic bag under the crack of the door, quickly pulling his fingers back once it had been delivered. He and the police held their positions, listening intently for any noises from within the room.

"Maybe this is all he needs," Abby said hopefully. "Maybe this will help calm him down."

At that moment, Tony Gates walked into the admit area. "Hi, sorry I'm late…" he said, stopping suddenly to look around the room at all the commotion. He walked up to Neela and Abby, scratching his head. "Hey, Mayday... what's going on?"

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hostage - Chapter Four**_

**Title:** Hostage

**Author:** GalaxyDuster (aka Sara)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the regular ER characters... obviously.  
**Spoilers: **References to 13x18 - Photographs and Memories. (This happens the next day.)  
**Content Warning:** Nothing more than your standard ER gore; drugs, violence.

* * *

Neela looked at Gates with such surprise, he figured he must have grown two heads. He looked around at the police with evident confusion. "What the heck happened here?"

Abby sighed and tried to word a coherent answer. "A murdering lunatic came in here a little while ago, trying to get drugs. Now he's taken Ray hostage in an exam room."

"Ray Barnett?!" Gates looked sincerely taken aback.

"Yeah," Abby replied. She looked back toward Exam Three. Nothing had changed yet. The police were standing back a safe distance from the door, as was Kovac.

Gates looked horrified. He glanced between Neela and Exam Three, then back again. He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Neela, you can't be in here. It's not safe." He began to tug at her arm to lead her out of the room.

"No, I'm not going," Neela said, trying to pull her arm away.

Gates continued to tug. "Don't be ridiculous. You can't be here while that psychopath is back there. It's too dangerous."

"I said I'm not going," Neela replied, a little too calmly. She looked down at her feet, trying to resist his pull. She noted with some dismay that he had the physical strength to move her against her will.

"Neela, come _on_," Gates furrowed his brow in concentration and continued to pull her harder, despite her obvious decision to stay. "Barnett can take care of himself; I need to get you out of here."

"I said no!" Neela suddenly exploded. Her tone had the power to make him finally release his grip on her. She glared up at him, shaking the soreness out of her arm. He'd been pulling on her a bit too hard.

He tried for a pleading look. "_Neela._"

"Tony, _no_," she said, crossing her arms. She looked him directly in the eye, feeling a bit of guilt work it's way around inside at the same time.

Suddenly, the door to Exam Three burst open. Chris appeared in the doorway, holding up his knife in a threatening manner. Neela quickly searched behind him for any sight of Ray, fearing the worst. The entire room had gone completely silent.

"I thought I said I wanted those cops _out of here_!" He shouted, waving the knife back and forth angrily. The police backed up several feet, hands held in the air to show that they weren't armed.

Chris reached behind himself in the dark and pulled Ray forward, holding him close to his body, knife pointed directly at him. Ray stared straight ahead, looking sad and resigned. His mouth was set into a grim looking frown.

Neela felt as if her heart were going to break.

Chris took a cautious step forward, looking as though he expected the police to jump on him at any moment. He nudged Ray a few inches ahead of himself for assurance.

"_Ray_," Neela exclaimed softly. She subconsciously took a step toward him.

Ray focused his gaze on her then, and she could see the pain etched on his face. His eyes glittered with restrained tears as Chris continued to nudge him forward from the exam room, knife held dangerously close to his neck.

"_No_," she cried, taking another step forward. Abby reached out quickly and snagged her by the sleeve.

"Nobody follow us!" Chris said, looking at everyone in the room. He was no longer shaking, Neela noticed. _He'd had his fix_. "Nobody… nobody had better be following us anywhere. I want free access to this building. I'm getting out of here, and you're gonna let me go, or he's gonna die," he said, loudly and calmly.

Several of the police officers nodded. Chris steadily pulled Ray back toward he elevators, continually looking over his shoulders.

Ray never let his gaze leave Neela's.

The elevator doors opened.

"God, _no_!" Neela tried to step forward again. Abby quickly grasped her by the shoulders, rubbing her palms up and down Neela's arms for comfort. She was certainly in a position to know how Neela was feeling at the moment, she thought.

Chris looked briefly into the elevator to be sure it was empty, then pulled Ray inside. A moment later, they were gone.

* * *

Ray closed his eyes as the elevator began to move. He felt as if he were in a dream; everything that was happening seemed completely surreal.

Chris paced back and forth with smooth, even steps. The six milligrams of morphine had calmed his nerves considerably. He probably knew he was facing a lifetime in jail at this point, however; and Ray knew that made him an incredibly dangerous person.

"What am I gonna do next, huh doc?" Chris stopped pacing suddenly and looked at Ray, biting his nails nervously as the elevator continued to move.

"I don't know," Ray said flatly.

Chris blinked quickly, then nodded. "No. Of course you don't. I didn't think you would, of course. Of course. I think we'd better stop and get some more of that morphine. Let's stop on one of these floors so you can get some for me. I don't want to run out any time soon." Chris reached out and smacked one of the elevator buttons randomly. The car came to a halt a moment later.

Ray took a moment to appreciate how incredible it was that this was the same man he'd been dealing with only ten minutes earlier. With the morphine on board, Chris was almost a completely different person. He could almost feel sorry for him.

_But he was still a murderer_, Ray thought.

The hallways of each floor had been cleared by security; nobody was in sight when they exited the elevator. Ray felt as if he were in a daze; he didn't know which floor of the hospital they were on, nor did he try to discern it. He simply continued to walk in front of Chris until he spotted a Pyxis machine in one of the alcoves.

"Great. Get as much as you can," Chris said earnestly. He stood right at Ray's shoulder as Ray punched his user ID into the computer. A few moments later, he had over-ridden the orders on a patient in order to open the proper medicine drawer. Ray took every vial of morphine that was stocked, and dropped them into the pocket of his lab coat. Quickly, he turned to the adjacent supply drawers and found a box of syringes. He stuffed a handful of them into his other pocket.

"Excellent," Chris said, nodding in approval. "You won't regret helping me, doc." He nudged Ray back out ahead of himself.

Ray felt almost numb as they came to the elevator again. He wondered absently what Neela was doing downstairs right now. The thought of her warmed his spirit a little bit. He closed his eyes and tried to just think of her face, as it was the only thing making him feel better.

Ray was jerked from his thoughts a moment later as Chris pushed him back into the elevator.

* * *

Neela rested her head on the admit desk, leaning into it with the kind of desperation she would have found pathetic under any other circumstance. She felt as though none of this could really be happening. How could Ray be somewhere in the hospital with a knife-wielding murderer right now? What was going on? Where had they gone? She could hardly stand to think about all the possibilities.

Gates hadn't said a word since Ray had disappeared on the elevator with Chris. Neela couldn't really find the energy to pay attention to him, even though she knew he was expecting it. She didn't want to explain anything to him right now. She had barely started to figure it out, herself.

Abby sighed deeply, staring off into space. Kovac had come back over to them, looking more than a little drained. He put his hands in his pockets, standing close to Abby. Neela watched them for a moment, envious of the unspoken love and comfort they always managed to share.

"Any idea where they went?" Pratt asked one of the police officers.

"_No. But we can only assume he'll make contact with us again somehow_."

Neela lifted her head, trying not to let herself become completely hopeless. "Luka? How much morphine was … that _man_ … given?"

"I sent enough under the door for six milligrams," Kovac replied easily, turning to look at Neela. "It certainly would have taken the edge off of his withdrawal. I can only assume he'll want more within the next few hours, though."

Neela nodded. She wondered if Ray had stopped to pick up more drugs for his captor. Whether or not it would be a good thing to feed the man's habit, she didn't know.

One of the officers called to Kovac. He made his way back over to them.

Abby found Neela's eyes with her own, and attempted a hopeful smile. "Neela, I know that right now it seems like nothing could possibly turn out right, and I know you feel like everything is out of your control. I know you feel like the worst is going to happen to Ray right now. But _trust me_. Everything is going to be okay." Abby continued to look her in the eyes, waiting for a response.

Neela felt more tears spill over; it was totally out of her control. She sniffled twice, trying to collect herself. Her voice still shook when she spoke. "That man has killed once already today. I doubt if another life is going to mean anything to him. He's got nothing left to lose, Abby. Nothing. He doesn't care about Ray, or anyone else."

"You just have to believe that he's going to be okay," Abby replied. Her eyes were filled with tears and empathy. Neela tried to draw on her friend's strength, as difficult as it seemed.

One of the officers' radios suddenly beeped. A deep male voice came through on the line.

"_The suspect is on the roof with his hostage, who is unharmed. And he's demanding the use of a helicopter_."

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hostage - Chapter Five**_

**Title:** Hostage

**Author:** GalaxyDuster (aka Sara)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the regular ER characters... obviously.  
**Spoilers: **References to 13x18 - Photographs and Memories. (This happens the next day.)  
**Content Warning:** Nothing more than your standard ER gore; drugs, violence.

* * *

"A helicopter?!" Neela's face twisted into an expression of utter disgust. "Where the hell does he think he's going to go in a damn helicopter?" She fisted her hands on her hips.

Gates sighed. "_Whew_. At least he's leaving the building, right?" He looked to Abby for agreement.

Abby simply looked back at him with disgust.

"_What_ did you just say?" Neela asked, in a soft yet dangerous tone.

"I said it's great that the creep is getting out of the building, away from us," Gates said, seemingly not aware that he was shoving his foot even farther into his mouth.

Neela felt her entire face burning as she struggled to repress her anger. "That lunatic has Ray at knifepoint, and you think it's great that he's about to take him away in a helicopter?"

"Yeah, well, one person in danger is better than a couple thousand in danger, right?" Gates spoke as though it were the most simple logic in the world.

Neela was simply aghast at his sentiment. "I can't even believe you," she whispered, throwing her hands in the air and turning to walk away.

"Was it something I said?" Gates called after her. He looked at Abby again; she simply shook her head.

"Neela!" Gates caught up to her a few steps away. "Look, what's the big deal? The police aren't going to let that freak get very far. There's no way he's going to get out of Chicago."

"And you think he's not going to go down without a fight?" Neela whirled around, her eyes expressing all of the hurt that she was feeling inside.

"Neela, all that matters is that you're safe here."

She laughed incredulously. "No. That doesn't matter to me at all. What matters to me is that some crazy murderer is about to take Ray off on a helicopter ride over Chicago which is bound to… to _…_" Her voice broke again. She quickly covered her mouth with her palm, turning away from Gates.

He folded his arms, not really sure what to do. "What's the deal here, Neela?" He asked quietly.

She turned to face him again, wiping her face with her fingers. "What do you mean?"

Gates paused for a moment. Then he made perfect eye contact with her. "What's the deal with you and Ray?"

"Oh my _God_, I can't believe you'd bring that up at a time like _this_," Neela scoffed, sounding just a wee bit too defensive.

"It's relevant," Gates countered, not breaking eye contact.

"It's totally _not_ relevant!" Neela laughed humorlessly and looked away.

"Let's be honest now," Gates said, plastering a false smirk across his face. Neela could see the anger behind his eyes. His jaw was firmly set.

"I'm _not_ having this conversation," Neela retorted, trying to look unaffected. She started to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gates snapped, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I have to know what's going on," Neela replied. She, too, had set her jaw.

She knew what she had to do.

"Neela, don't be ridiculous. Where are you going?" Gates followed Neela as she walked toward the elevators.

"I have to know," she repeated. She pushed the call button, staring up into his face. "I can't just sit down here and do nothing."

"Neela, I'm not going to let you do this," Gates said sternly.

The elevator doors opened.

"Oh, why don't you just go and bugger yourself?" Neela hissed, stepping into the car and smacking a button to close the doors before Gates had a chance to stop her.

* * *

Ray looked up with surprise as the elevator doors opened to a familiar, dark little corridor. He hadn't been here too terribly often, but he recognized where they were immediately. It was the door that led to the roof of the hospital. 

_He'd been up here a time or two._

Chris looked around briefly as he pushed open the door to the outside. The wind whipped without apology along the rooftop, and the sun was shining brightly. The two men stepped out onto the pavement.

Ray glanced quickly at Chris, wondering what his next move would be.

"I used to be a pilot, you know," Chris said, lowering the knife to his side. He looked almost totally relaxed, Ray thought with quiet amazement.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Chris continued. "I flew a news helicopter for a few years. I did private shuttles to and from Canada, too. I know my way around the air."

"Well, I wouldn't have guessed," Ray said shortly.

"I know. You people look at me, and you think I'm some homeless bum who maybe worked at McDonald's once or twice in my life, don't you? Well, I'm a person. I was a pilot for fifteen years. I have earned some God-damned _respect_." He looked both angry and tired as he spoke.

"You won't get any argument from me," Ray agreed. He looked at the tops of the buildings that were scattered around the hospital. He remembered following Neela up here to talk to her after Gallant's death. It seemed like ages ago.

"I'm expecting a helicopter to show up for me in the next fifteen minutes," Chris said, looking up into the sky. "I'm gonna have to bring you with me, doc. You understand."

Ray simply sighed. "Yeah. I figured as much."

"Nothing personal." Chris looked a bit pale all of a sudden, Ray thought. He wondered if the morphine was wearing off already.

Ray took a few deep breaths of the fresh air. He felt the warmth of the sun on his hands and face, and tried to appreciate it for what it was. He wondered how much time they would have here before the helicopter arrived.

"What are we going to do once we're in the helicopter?" Ray finally asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Chris shrugged. He tapped his fingers absently with the blade of his knife. "I guess I'll just have to see what happens."

At that moment, the door to the roof was flung open once more. Ray and Chris both looked up in surprise.

"This needs to stop. _Right now_," Neela said angrily, pointing her finger at Chris.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hostage - Chapter Six - Final Chapter!!!!**_

**Title:** Hostage

**Author:** GalaxyDuster (aka Sara)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the regular ER characters... obviously.  
**Spoilers: **References to 13x18 - Photographs and Memories. (This happens the next day.)  
**Content Warning:** Nothing more than your standard ER gore; drugs, violence & language.

* * *

Chris looked at Neela with an expression of pure astonishment. He did not lift the knife, nor did he move. He simply stared at her.

Ray went from shock to paralysis to horror in a matter of seconds. "Neela, what the _hell_ are you doing up here?!" He managed to ask.

Neela jabbed her finger in Chris's direction, her face twisted into a blend of anger and determination. "I'm not going to allow this," she vowed. "He's not taking you anywhere with him."

Chris appeared to finally collect himself. He absently tapped the blade of the knife against his thigh, deciding how to handle the new complication. "I believe I instructed you all to _not_ follow me," he told Neela, his tone surprisingly neutral.

"I don't give a rat's ass what you told us," Neela snapped.

"_Neela._" Ray's eyes were so wide that Neela half expected them to roll right out of his head.

"Neela, is it?" Chris rubbed his chin for a moment, still contemplating the situation.

"I don't think that's really important right now." Neela's tone was menacing.

"You're right, it's not," Chris snickered. His hands were starting to shake. He took a deep breath and sighed it back out, shaking his head. "You really shouldn't have come up here."

Neela moistened her lips, her breathing getting heavy as she realized the severity of the situation she had just put herself into. She struggled to keep hold of her determination. "You don't need him anymore. Go off in your helicopter and leave us alone."

"Actually, the police are much less likely to try to shoot me down from the sky if I have a hostage on board. They're probably even _less_ likely to try if I have _two_ hostages on board," Chris added with a laugh.

"You're _not_ taking him with you," Neela repeated.

Chris's mildly amused expression faded away into a scowl. "So you've said, _Neela_. And I'm wondering just how it is you think you're going to stop me." He took a single step toward her. Neela felt her pulse start to jump.

"_Stay away from her_," Ray growled suddenly, moving toward Chris at record speed.

Chris quickly jerked the knife into a ready position, his gaze darting between Ray and Neela as if he expected them both to suddenly jump on him from opposite sides. "Don't move!" He warned them.

Ray stopped in his tracks, lifting both palms in the air. "Just take it easy. Take it easy! Be cool! Now isn't the time to freak out."

"Now is the _perfect_ time to freak out!" Chris snapped, looking angrily between them. It was obvious that he no longer felt in control of things.

"This can't continue," Neela said, also lifting her hands in placation. She felt a new surge of desperation wash through her. She could hear a helicopter approaching from the distance.

"Nobody is changing the plan," Chris said angrily. "_The plan is not changing!_"

Neela swallowed hard. She knew they had run out of time to argue. "Look, maybe it would be best if we all took a deep breath right now and thought this through rationally, ok?"

Chris turned to look at her. Neela held his gaze and nodded. Behind him, she saw Ray slowly dip a hand into one of the pockets on the front of his lab coat.

"Don't try to talk me out of this," Chris warned her.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt – including you," Neela told him. She glanced discreetly at Ray, who slipped one of the packaged syringes out of his pocket as carefully as possible.

He looked completely terrified, she thought.

"If you don't want to get hurt, all you have to do is what I tell you to do," Chris said, breathing quickly. "The both of you are going to get on that helicopter with me, so I can get out of this city. It's really not _that_ difficult of a plan to understand."

Ray's hands shook as he managed to quietly remove the wrapper from the outside of the syringe.

Neela bit her lip.

"The helicopter is on its way," Chris continued. "I highly suggest that when it gets here, both of you get on board without any trouble."

The helicopter's rotors chopped loudly as it drew nearer to the hospital. Chris looked straight up into the sky, where the aircraft had started to make its descent.

Neela felt her pulse pound heavily as Ray pulled the cap off of the end of the needle. She could see his hands shaking even from several feet away. She braced herself, knowing just what he was about to do.

Chris looked back down from the helicopter abruptly, seeming to realize that something wasn't quite right. He looked at Neela first.

Ray took advantage of the opportunity. He lunged forward blindly with the syringe.

Neela winced inwardly as the needle made solid contact with the back of Chris's neck, piercing him all the way through the skin and muscle. He let out a high-pitched scream, reaching wildly behind himself.

Ray threw both of his arms around Chris's neck, attempting to pull him to the ground. The needle was flung out onto the rooftop, out of sight. Neela realized that Chris still had the knife in his hand.

"Ray, _watch out!_" She screamed, running up to them as they struggled against each other. Chris was attempting to slash behind himself with the knife, apparently hoping he would connect with Ray's face somehow.

She didn't even think. Neela reeled back and kicked Chris's hand with her full weight. The knife went flying.

"_Auugh!!!_" She screamed, kicking him again for good measure. Ray had managed to tackle him to the ground. Neela jumped on top of Chris, pinning him entirely to the pavement. Ray quickly pulled the man's hands behind his back. Together, he and Neela rolled Chris onto his stomach.

"Get off of me!!! _Get off of me!!!_" Chris screamed, attempting to thrash. Ray held him tightly against the ground by both arms.

Behind them, the helicopter was landing. The wind kicked up around them. Neela felt her hair flying all around her face. She looked at Ray, breathing heavily. Chris had stopped moving, apparently resigned to capture. She let out a nervous laugh.

Ray smiled back at Neela, looking incredulous at what they had just managed to do. He did not let his gaze slip from hers, even as the helicopter pilot jumped out onto the roof behind them.

The police suddenly burst through the doorway to the roof in droves, swarming the entire area around them. Several officers ran to Ray and Neela's position, securing Chris with the proper restraints. Neela half-listened as they read him his rights. She was still staring into Ray's eyes.

He stood up first, taking a deep and shaky breath. Neela stood a moment later. The officers continued to mill around them.

"_Neela_," Ray said softly, tilting his head to the side. He simply smiled at her.

She felt her eyes burning. He was safe, she thought.

_He was safe_.

"Ray," she murmured, smiling sweetly around her tears. She bit her lip again, walking slowly to where he stood.

"You… I couldn't have done this without you," Ray whispered, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. He stared down at her with an expression so serious, she had no choice but to look directly into his eyes.

An instant later, his hands were sliding up into her hair, drawing her closer as he leaned down and rested his lips against her own.

The sensation ran through Neela like pure electricity. Her fingers dug into his arms as she returned the kiss so deeply, so sweetly, she was almost sure she would simply melt away right then and there. She didn't care who was watching. She didn't care that someone was laughing right behind them. She simply let herself be lost in that moment, when all she could feel was pure love and happiness.

Ray continued to kiss her slowly, just a few moments longer, before gently pulling away. He did not open his eyes for a moment as he straightened up. When he finally did, Neela could see the emotion burning in them.

She couldn't even find words, she thought. This was it. This was everything she wanted. She reached out and grasped his hands, never more sure of anything than she was at that moment.

"Let's go back inside," Neela said softly, hoping to match his gaze with all of the emotion that she felt welling up inside.

Ray smiled at her slowly, feeling as if he'd just been given… _everything_.

"Yes. I think that's an excellent idea," he replied, gripping her hand tightly.

They turned together and headed back into the building.

* * *


End file.
